LOOK INTO OUR Crystal Ball: DIET DOS AND DON'TS THE DIRTY TRUTH: HAND WASHING MATTERS WHY YOU NEED A PRIMARY CARE PROVIDER H56010_Sharon_final 1
HEALTH HAPPENINGS Waiting Can Be a LOSING GAME Life s busy schedule can often make weight loss seem like an elusive idea you may have good intentions but often procrastinate. Here is some motivation: The longer you wait, the greater the risk for obesity-related cancers. In a study published in PLOS Medicine, researchers examined approximately 74,000 post-menopausal women from the Women s Health Initiative to see how time affects the risk of various cancers in FOR EVERY DECADE OF BEING OVERWEIGHT OR OBESE, THERE WAS A overweight or obese women. The results suggest that the longer a woman is overweight, the more vulnerable she is to several obesity-related cancers such as colorectal, liver, pancreatic and postmenopausal breast cancers. This study is the first of its kind and shows that, even in small amounts, losing weight sooner rather than later betters your chances of avoiding cancer. 7% INCREASE IN CANCER RISK. Better Contact Lens CARE According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than 40 million Americans wear contact lenses. Although using contact lenses is generally safe, they can cause serious vision-related complications if they re not cared for properly. The CDC studied more than 1,000 cases of serious contactsrelated corneal infections between 2005 and 2015 and found that roughly 25 percent of these cases may have been prevented if users avoided certain behaviors, including wearing lenses longer than prescribed, improper cleaning and swimming or sleeping in them. Lesson to learn? Follow your optometrist s or ophthalmologist s instructions carefully. Don t sleep, swim or shower while wearing contact lenses, and remember to properly clean them and change out your contacts case regularly. THE IMPORTANCE OF PRIMARY CARE Every year, nearly 20 million people over the age of 65 go to the emergency room. While it is important to receive emergency care when needed, new research reveals that older adults can reduce their chances of an ER visit if they receive regular primary care. Published in the Annals of Emergency Medicine, the study revealed that Medicare beneficiaries have lower chances of going to the ER if they regularly receive outpatient care from the same doctor or a small number of doctors. Examining more than 3 million Medicare patients, researchers observed up to a 20 percent decrease in ER visits in individuals who fostered a continuous relationship with their doctor versus patients who did not. Check out our hospital website for primary care doctors near you. 2 H56010_Sharon_final 2
HEART MATTERS FAST FACT 71 percent of heart attacks recorded each year are firsttime heart attacks, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Trust Accredited HEART CARE During a heart attack, time is muscle. Seek immediate care from a hospital that provides evidence-based, quality cardiac treatment. Hospitals that have accreditation from the Society of Cardiovascular Patient Care have the tools and protocols in place to immediately care for heart attack patients. The level of accreditation can vary based on the treatments available at the hospital, but when you visit an Accredited Chest Pain Center, you can expect: emergency medical services (EMS) and Accredited Chest Pain Centers to work together to ensure resources are available when you arrive follow-up care offered early after discharge so your heart health can continue to be monitored, as recommended by the care team outcomes to be tracked and evaluated to help inform evidence-based guidelines that Accredited Chest Pain Centers follow Patients report feeling more satisfied with the health care they received at an Accredited Chest Pain Center. Other benefits include: fewer readmissions and dollars spent on healthcare improved times for the door-to-balloon procedure, or the first device used to restore blood flow to the heart, which should take place within 90 minutes shorter hospital stays This approach to cardiac care extends beyond the hospital to the community through outreach programs to teach preventive health. When it comes to chest pain, it means educating community members about how to spot a heart attack and what to do in the first critical moments. During a heart attack, every minute matters. If you experience warning signs, call 911 and get to the nearest emergency room. Visit 4healthier.me/SRHS-PCI to learn more. WATCHING FOR WARNING SIGNS Heart attack symptoms are not always obvious. Be alert as symptoms for men and women can vary. Men typically experience more severe, noticeable chest pain that lasts longer than a few minutes. They also may experience upper body pain in their arms, shoulder or jaw. Women may experience more subtle symptoms, often mistaking it for a minor health concern. Chest pain may not occur at all for women. Instead, they may have cold or flu-like symptoms, along with possible upper back pain, nausea, breathlessness or extreme fatigue. If you suspect you or a loved one is having a heart attack, call 911 immediately. 3 H56010_Sharon_final 3
EVERYDAY WELLNESS IS WEIGHT In LOSS Your With so much conflicting advice in magazines and blogs, making the right calorie choices can feel like gazing into a crystal ball. If you re one of the 30 percent of Americans who resolve to lose weight every year, start by separating fortune-telling from facts. Boost your metabolism by changing when you eat. To burn m e cal ies, build m e muscle. VERDICT: GOOD ADVICE! One pound of muscle can burn three times as many calories at rest as a pound of fat, according to the American Council on Exercise. That s why men who tend to have less body fat and more muscle mass than women are more efficient calorieburners. It seems unfair, but there s a silver lining. People who carry excess weight burn more calories during exercise than fit people do. If you re overweight and just starting to exercise, a little bit will go a long way. Once your initial weight loss slows down, start incorporating more musclebuilding exercises such as weight lifting and ab crunches into your routine. VERDICT: TRY AT YOUR OWN RISK. You may have heard of diets based on the idea that if you constantly shift when and how many calories you consume, your metabolism learns to be more efficient. Similar diets opt for five or six micro-meals instead of the traditional three square meals a day. Unfortunately, science doesn t back up these diet trends. A small-scale study published in 2014 in the International Journal of Preventive Medicine showed minor advantages of calorie shifting over simple calorie restriction, but it did not improve participants resting metabolic rate. A BETTER IDEA: Listen to your body. Don t wait to eat until you re starving, which can lead to poor nutritional choices. Don t eat out of boredom, either. When snacking, choose filling foods, such as wholegrain crackers, green vegetables and other foods rich in complex carbs, which have appetitecurbing effects for as long as 24 hours. 4 H56010_Sharon_final 4
EVERYDAY WELLNESS THE MYTH OF THE AGING METABOLISM You ve heard the excuse before When I was young, I could eat whatever I wanted. Then I turned 40, and my metabolism slowed to a halt. The truth is, your metabolic rate doesn t slow down because you age, but rather because you lose muscle mass as you age. According to the National Institutes of Health, sedentary adults lose about 8 percent or more of their muscle mass every decade after age 40. You can t stop aging, but you can prevent muscle loss through regular physical activity. Try these tools to preserve your muscle mass and keep your metabolism going strong. Consult your primary care provider before starting a new exercise regimen. Exercise Band These giant rubber bands provide resistance to stretch and tone your muscles without harmful impact on your bones. Kettlebell Increasingly popular among fitness buffs, kettlebells enable ballistic exercise, a unique combination of aerobic, strength and flexibility training. Medicine ball Medicine balls filled with water can offer a harder challenge. As the water sloshes around inside, it requires more muscle engagement to control the ball. 58% A study published in 2016 in the BMJ Open journal found that 58 percent of Americans total energy intake comes from ultra-processed foods, which include candy, desserts, packaged baked goods, reconstituted meat products, and sweet and savory snacks. On average, the amount of added sugar in these foods is eight times greater than in regular processed foods. To lose bad fat, EAT GOOD FAT. VERDICT: TWO THUMBS UP! Eating a well-balanced diet is a better weight-loss strategy than restricting or eliminating certain food groups. Unsaturated fats found in eggs, vegetable oils, nuts, seeds and avocados are considered good fats because they decrease harmful LDL cholesterol and provide important nutrients such as fatty acids. A 2007 study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition showed that consuming fatty acids actually reduces body fat and improves metabolic health. Zero-calorie means zero weight gain. VERDICT: KEEP WISHING. Several studies suggest zero-calorie beverages could actually contribute to weight gain. One preliminary study published in the journal NeuroImage in 2008 found that the brain can tell the difference between caloric and noncaloric sweeteners, which could trigger the body to crave the calories it was expecting to get and lead to overeating. A 2015 study published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society found that older adults who drank diet soda every day for almost a decade experienced an increase in waistline size three times that of those who never drank it. A BETTER IDEA: To satisfy your sweet tooth, stick with natural sources of sugar, such as whole fruit or a teaspoon of honey. Pair your sweet with a protein or complex carb to avoid a blood-sugar crash. FAT TO FIT For every 20 pounds you weigh, you can expect to burn an additional 10 12 percent of calories during exercise. For example, a 160-pound woman will burn about 255 calories during 30 minutes of jogging. A 180-pound woman will burn about 286 calories doing the same thing, according to the Calorie Control Council. This explains why it becomes harder to lose weight as you become slimmer! 5 H56010_Sharon_final 5
EVERYDAY WELLNESS Forget fad diets and focus on your environment to help you lose weight and keep it off. Home Hacks f LOSS SOMETIMES DIET AND EXERCISE AREN T ENOUGH TO HELP YOU LOSE WEIGHT People are considered morbidly obese when their body mass index (BMI) is greater than 40. Morbid obesity is often accompanied by other medical conditions, including type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and sleep apnea. Sheetal Nijhawan, M.D. Criteria for weightloss surgery: Must have tried nonsurgical weight-loss treatments, such as diet, exercise and behavioral changes. A minimum of 18 years old. A BMI of 35 40 with an associated co-morbidity A BMI of 40 or greater Absence of an underlying medical condition for obesity Absence of uncontrolled psychological conditions and substance abuse Understand the bariatric surgery process and the associated risks Demonstrate a willingness to make lifelong changes for a healthy lifestyle Learn more about Sheetal Nijhawan, M.D., board-certified bariatric surgeon, at 4healthier.me/SRHS-Bariatrics. Dr. Sheetal Nijhawan is a member of the medical staff at Sharon Regional Health System and Sharon Regional Medical Group. While fad diets come and go, your home is here to stay. Make a few small changes to help support healthy lifestyle habits. Try these tips. Reorganize your kitchen. According to a study at the Cornell Food and Brand lab, having a cluttered kitchen results in stress and can lead to more stress eating. Remove unnecessary items, like junk mail and unused appliances from your counters and table. 1 3 4 Hide the unhealthy options. Try not to buy junk food or processed food, but if you do, place it on higher shelves or behind closed cabinets so it s not in your line of sight and is harder to reach. 2 Make healthy foods easy to spot. Rearrange your refrigerator and cabinets to display nutritional items at eye level. When you take produce home, wash it immediately before placing it in the fridge. Wash, dry and precut your salad greens for healthy lunches and side salads. Peel and slice oranges. Store carrots in one side of a double container and a serving side of hummus in the other, making these easy grab-and-go snacks. Place hand weights in sitting areas. Results from the Health Professionals Follow-up Study indicate weight training plays an important role in helping people maintain smaller waistlines. Continue to fit aerobic activities into your schedule. When you sit down at home to rest your legs, consider picking up light weights to exercise your upper body. Register for a free bariatric information session at (724) 383-3072. Learn more about the bariatric weight loss program at Sharon Regional at SharonWeightLoss.com. 6 H56010_Sharon_final 6
HANDS OFF! KITCHEN SINK According to the National Sanitation Foundation (NSF), 45 percent of kitchen sinks are contaminated with dangerous coliform bacteria (Salmonella and E. coli are part of this family). Note: Beware the sponge! EVERYDAY WELLNESS Clean tip: Sanitize sponges and scrub your sink regularly. 75% have coliform bacteria. These everyday items could be crawling with germs and bacteria that can make you sick. Proceed with caution, and wash your hands frequently to stay healthy. KEEP EM CLEAN! Clean tip: Wipe your phone down with a lintfree cloth daily. CELL PHONE Research from NSF found: 5% TESTED POSITIVE FOR COLIFORM BACTERIA. 23% TESTED POSITIVE FOR YEAST OR MOLD. To get your hands clean and help prevent illness, follow these steps from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Step 1: Step 2: Step 3: Step 4: Step 5: 5% Use clean water to wet your hands. Work soap and water into a lather all over your hands the palm, back of the hand, around fingernails and between fingers. Wash for 20 seconds (long enough to sing Happy Birthday twice). Rinse off soap under clean, running, warm water. Air dry or use a clean surface to dry your hands. ONLY 5 PERCENT OF PEOPLE WASH THEIR HANDS CORRECTLY, ACCORDING TO A MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY STUDY. Clean tip: Grab a disinfecting wipe and clean the cart before use. WET LAUNDRY 73% OF Germs survive cold washes. Use hot water, at least 140 Fahrenheit. SHOPPING CART Food Protection Trends found that of the shopping carts in one study: 72% HAD COLIFORM BACTERIA. Clean tip: Use a detergent with bleach or peroxide in it to kill germs. Or hang your laundry in the sun to dry the ultraviolet rays kill germs. 51% HAD E. COLI. WEIGHT TRAINING EQUIPMENT AT GYMS IS CONTAMINATED WITH RHINOVIRUS, (THE CULPRIT BEHIND THE COMMON COLD), ACCORDING TO A STUDY IN THE CLINICAL JOURNAL OF SPORTS MEDICINE. If a minor illness or cold gets you down, call your primary care doctor. 7 H56010_Sharon_final 7
Sharon Regional Health System 740 E. State St. Sharon, PA 16146 WANT TO READ MORE? Visit 4healthier.me/SRHS-SignUp to receive other health and wellness articles and register for our enewsletter. PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE PAID LYNCHBURG, VA PERMIT NO. 500 THOSE WHO SIGN UP WILL BE ENTERED INTO A DRAWING FOR A FITBIT! No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited. You must be 18 years of age or older. Sharon Regional Health System complies with applicable Federal civil rights laws and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability or sex. For more information, see link on our home page at SharonRegional.com. Attention: If you do not speak English, language assistance services, free of charge, are available to you. Call (724) 983-3911 [TTY: (724) 983-3905]. ATENCIÓN: si habla español, tiene a su disposición servicios gratuitos de asistencia lingüística. Llame al (724) 983-3911 [TTY: (724) 983-3905]. 注意 : 如果您使用繁體中文, 您可以免費獲得語言援助服務 請致電 (724) 983-3911 [TTY: (724) 983-3905] VOLUME 9 ISSUE 1 Want More? Visit SharonRegional.com/signup to sign up for our enewsletter! SharonRegional.com This publication in no way seeks to serve as a substitute for professional medical care. Consult your doctor before undertaking any form of medical treatment or adopting any exercise program or dietary guidelines. The signs of a heart attack can be different in women. In fact, some women can experience a heart attack with no chest pain at all. So know the signs. If you feel them, get to an emergency room fast. Call 911 and know that we re here to help when you need us. Sharon Regional is the region s Accredited Chest Pain Center. Our Emergency Care Center and specialized heart team provide advanced heart attack care. Learn more at 4healthier.me/SRHS-ERHeart. H56010_Sharon_final 8